Voter Registration Modernization

The nation’s broken voter registration system is a chief cause of long lines and Election Day chaos. Many states rely on a blizzard of paper records that are rife with error while leaving out eligible voters. The Brennan Center’s signature proposal to modernize voting harnesses proven technology to ensure that every eligible voter is permanently registered. The core element of the plan is automatic registration, which would securely add millions to the rolls, save money, and curb the potential for fraud. Nine states and the District of Columbia have approved automatic registration. And almost every state — without fanfare or partisan wrangling — has implemented reforms to modernize voting. Read our fact sheet explaining how a 21st century voting system would work.

The Brennan Center works closely with its federal, state, and local allies to modernize voter registration. This page includes all advocacy and campaign-related materials that can be useful for partners seeking to upgrade registration.

In advance of this crucial midterm election, this report details new voting restrictions put in place over the past few years, laws in place for the first time in 2014, and major lawsuits that could affect this year’s elections. See all our 2014 voting resources.